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The President's Award for Educational Excellence award recognizes academic success in the classroom.

To be eligible for the President's Award for Educational Excellence, students at each award level (elementary, middle, or high school) must meet the requirements outlined below:

A. Individual Criteria

To be eligible for the award, students must earn a grade point average of 90 on a 100-point scale, (an A on a letter scale or a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale). When computing grade point averages at the respective award level, only the years at that level are to be included through the fall semester of the exiting grade.

Note: Elementary schools should not include K-3 in their computations.

B. School Criteria/Standards

Each school may also establish standards for the award that reflect a 90 percent level or higher on the traditional grading scale.

This category of the award enables school personnel to use new assessment and evaluation tools in developing award criteria at their school and apply the criteria fairly to all students.

The primary indicators of excellence must be based on academic achievement. School personnel may also consider, as part of the criteria, activities in which a student demonstrate high motivation, initiative, integrity, intellectual depth, leadership qualities and/or exceptional judgment. They may also require student essays and outstanding attendance, but these activities must bear some relationship to the academic performance of a student.

C. Additional Criteria

In addition to A or B, schools should use one or more of the following criteria to determine selected students:

1. State Tests and Nationally-Normed Achievement Tests: High achievement in reading or mathematics on state tests or nationally-normed tests. The school may consider college admissions examinations for seniors, for example the SAT or ACT.

OR

2. Recommendations from a teacher plus one other staff member:

• One recommendation should reflect outstanding achievement in courses such as English, mathematics, science, history, geography, art, foreign language, and any other courses that reflect a school's core curriculum. This judgment should be supported by tangible evidence of results on teacher-made tests, portfolio assessments, or special projects.
• The second recommendation from a school staff member should address: involvement in community service or co-curricular activities including tutoring other students and/or demonstration of creativity and achievement in the visual and performing arts.

The school principal has final authority to determine which students receive this award.